The Effectiveness of Tape-script in Teaching Listening Comprehension Exercises (A Study of First-year University Students in TOEFL Preparation Classes)

Abstract

Abstract

The objective of this study was to check the effectiveness of using a tape-script in TOEFL prepara-tion classes in improving later performance on the listening comprehension section of a TOEFL Prediction. Two groups of freshmen were involved in this study; both groups took the same TOEFL Prediction pre-test, were trained in the same listening comprehension skills and strategies as well as the same reading comprehension skills and structure, and did the same post-test. The only difference between the two groups was that the experimental group (were shown the tape-script during the lis-tening exercises) while the control group (were not shown the tape-script). Showing a the tape-script on transparencies was intended to help the students in the experimental group comprehend better during listening exercises as they would be able to see the written form of the stretches of speech they heard, and perform better later on the listening section of the TOEFL Prediction. The pre-test and post-test comparisons showed that both groups performed better in all sections of the post test (Structure, Reading Comprehension and Listening Comprehension), and that only on the listening section did the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group. This result strongly indicates that the use of the tape-script during listening practice was effective in improving later lis-tening comprehension performance. The pre-test and post-test comparisons also demonstrated that the better performance of experimental group on the listening section was mostly due to its better performance on part A of the listening section which consisted of short converstaions. As more lis-tening practice sessions had been spent on part A than on parts B and C following the university po-licy, this result may suggest the value of showing learners the tape-script during listening practice especially in the case of listening to short conversations or the possibility that a larger amount of practice with the tape-script on parts B and C will also lead to better later performance on these parts of the TOEFL Prediction listening section. The overall conclusion remains positive in support of the use of the tape-script during listening practice.

Keywords: Listening Comprehension, The Effectiveness of Using a Tape-Script, TOEFL Prediction Preparation